The present invention relates to improved compositions of chewing gum. More particularly, the invention relates to improving chewing gum by the use of specific bulking agents in sugar and non-sugar chewing gum products to give improved texture, moisture absorption properties, and improved shelf life properties. The improved chewing gum compositions may also be used in a variety of chewing gum products, such as confectionery coated chewing gum products.
In recent years, efforts have been devoted to replace sugar and sugar syrups normally found in chewing gum with other carbohydrates and noncarbohydrates. Non-sugar or sugar-free chewing gum, which is growing in popularity, uses sugar alcohols or polyols to replace sugar and sugar syrups. The most popular polyols are sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol. New polyols are being developed using new technology to replace these polyols. New polyols have various unique properties which can improve the taste, texture and shelf life properties of chewing gum for consumers. The non-sugar polyols have the advantage of not contributing to dental caries of consumers, as well as being able to be consumed by diabetics.
One such polyol bulking agent is called erythritol. This polyol bulking agent or bulk sweetener is not approved for use in human food products or in chewing gum in the U.S. However, a GRAS affirmation petition for erythritol as a human food ingredient is currently being prepared. Erythritol does not contribute to dental caries, does not significantly contribute to calories and does not cause gastric distress like some other polyols. Thus, this ingredient's use in chewing gum could be a definite improvement.
A chewing gum made with a sweetening agent containing erythritol and a liquid sugar or sugar alcohol is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,550.
A method of reducing dental caries by administering a sugarless chewing gum made with erythritol is disclosed in European Patent Publication No. 0 009 325.
Low-caloric sweetening compositions containing meso-erythritol are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,916 and No. 4,902,525 and Japanese Patent Publications No. 89-225458 and 90-104259. Japanese Patent Publication No. 89-51045 discloses chewing gum made with a melted mixture of mesoerythritol and sugars or sugar alcohols.
A sweetener employing the use of spray dried erythritol is disclosed in European Patent Publication No. 0 497 439.
A sweetening composition made up of erythritol, sorbitol and a glucose oligomer is disclosed in European Patent Publication No. 0 511 761.